Stein's, like St. James, was brought to life by a young local entrepreneur who tapped a vein of demand in New Orleans for sandwiches other than po-boys.

The entrepreneur is Dan Stein, a former attorney who has, with the help of partner-mascot Andre Moreau, created a shop in the mold of the rough and ready Jewish- and Italian-style delis indigenous to East Coast urban centers.

You can buy meats to take home or as the centerpiece of an expertly made sandwich to eat with an array of pickles at one of the communal tables. Evidence of the owner's infatuation with beer can be found in the coolers.